Mike Martz: I Coach the Heck Out of Bears Quarterback Jay Cutler

There have been suggestions in some quarters -- in the Chicago media and around the NFL -- that Bears quarterback Jay Cutler could use a good mentor.

Mike Martz says Cutler already has a mentor, thank you very much.

"We do coach the heck out of him, despite what others might say,'' Martz snapped when asked about Cutler needing coaching by the Chicago Tribune. "And I have been doing this for 39 years, so I do think we know what we're doing. A quarterbacks coach? That's what I am. That's what I get paid to do.''

It's fair to question, though, whether Martz has done a good enough job with Cutler. Although Cutler had some big games with the Bears last year, he also laid an egg several times -- including in the NFC Championship Game, when he played lousy in the first half before leaving early in the second.

Martz said Cutler is a work in progress, although he said no progress can be made at the time because Cutler is still healing from that NFC Championship Game injury -- and with an NFL lockout looming, it may be a while before Martz and Cutler can work together again.

"The knee is not even close yet," Martz said. "I haven't seen him for a while because he's been out of the country, but we just have to make sure that thing is really healed before we start doing anything.''